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Vestibular evoked potentials

J G Colebatch1

  • 1Department of Neurology and School of Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia. j.colebatch@nsw.edu.au

Current Opinion in Neurology
|February 15, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) use sound or other stimuli to measure inner ear function. These techniques assess conditions like Meniere

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Otolaryngology
  • Vestibular System Physiology

Background:

  • Vestibular receptors can be activated by various stimuli, including loud clicks and head taps.
  • This activation leads to reflex changes in sternocleidomastoid muscle activity, forming vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and discuss the clinical applications of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs).
  • To highlight VEMPs' role in diagnosing otolith dysfunction and related vestibular disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Recording averaged electromyograms from sternocleidomastoid muscles.
  • Utilizing stimuli such as loud clicks, tone bursts, head taps, and transmastoid currents to evoke responses.
  • Analyzing the earliest ipsilateral response (p13n23) to loud clicks, which is dependent on saccular afferent activation.

Main Results:

  • Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) provide a measurable response to vestibular stimulation.
  • The p13n23 response is a key indicator of saccular function.

Conclusions:

  • Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) are a valuable clinical tool for assessing vestibular function.
  • Applications include diagnosing Tullio phenomenon, otolith dysfunction, vestibular neuritis, Meniere's disease, and acoustic neuromas.

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